Massaging apparatus.



w. SHURTLEFF.

MASSAGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION f lLEB A'UG.20. |914. RENEW/ED IAN. I2. 1918. V LQM'TFQ Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

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WILFRED srIURTLEFF, or IVIOLINE, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon-'ro :DION GERALDINE, or

" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. e, 1918;

Appucatin nien August 2o, 1914, serial no. 857,679. Renewed January .12, 1918-., serial No.` 211,675.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILERED SHUnTLnrr, a `citizen of the United States, and resident of'lVIoline, in the county of Rock Island and Statelof Illinois, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Massaging Apparatus, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a massaging apparatus Which may be either mechanically operated or the desired effect may be ob-` tained by the designed movements of the patient. j f n j l An objectof thel present invention is to provide a massaging apparatus including a plurality of centrally projecting pivotally mounted or yieldable arms upon vthe ex tremitiesof which are mounted massaging rollers adapted to bear against the patient and produce the desired kneadingrormassaging effect thereon, by effectingrelative reciprocation of Said rollers and the support upon which the patient is sustained, or by properly directed contortions of the patients body. In the illustrated instance the support is a platform constituting a part of the machine but may be Otherwise.

A. further object is to provide a massaging apparatus including a plurality of centrally projecting pivotally mounted arms vwith suitably shaped rollers at their extremities which are .arrangedin relative staggered Vrelation to thus engage thel patients body at contiguous points and press continually thereagainst, following the contour thereof.

Suitable means are provided for varying the pressure With Which the massaging` rollers engage the patient and also the parts of the body treated. In the illustrated embodiment of theinvention a reciprocating platform is employed upon Which the patient isl supported, thusrresujlting in the movement of the massaging rollers over the patients body. at the Sametime producing a vibratory and stimulating`,as Well las a healing effect, Aover theentire body of the patient..

:j I/Viththe foregoing and..fotlierjfobjects View which will appear .as the 4*description proceeds, the invention resides in the combi.- nation and arrangement .ofA parts and in the. details o,'r` `construction heneinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodimentof the invention .herein disclosed, can be made my improved massaging'apparatus WithY a portion of the driving mechanism of the reciprocating platform illustrated in' section and diagrammatically illustrating apatient in operable position Within ythe apparatus. Y

' Fig. 2 is a cross sectional yiew taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. i j n Fig. 3 is a detail view Aof one of the mas saging arms and illustrating, in section,; the adjustable Weight whereby the pressure of Contact of therollersisvaried.

Fig. 4L is asomewhat modified form in Which a spring exerts the requisite inward force to the massaging rollers.,l f g Referring to the drawings in. which similar reference numerals, designate'corresponding parts throughoutqthe several views, va base 5 rigidly supports the upright columns or guide posts 6 Which are provided at ktheir upper extremities with the cross members 7, thus providing for their-.mutual support and reinforcement. rllhe platformS is provided vvithsuitable polygonal apertures 9. ,extending ,theres through .which slidably receive the posts 6 therein and thus restrict the platform to a vertical reciprocating motion. The platform is reciprocated or vibrated by means of the cam shafts 10 .'Which are rotatably supported upon the foundation baseand are equipped Withthe -camsll` which contact With and support the platform 8.. lA p'ovver ydriven shaft, l2 is adapted to mechanically rotate thek cam shafts 10 through the instrumelntality of .the beveled gears 13, the speed of rotation ofthe cam shafts dee `pending upon the; treatment to be applied to v the patients body.

Slidably mounted upon lthe.v polygonal posts are the bracketslt, the same including `thecentrally disposed sockets 15 slid,`

ably mounted upon the ,posts and adjustably held thereto bymeans ,of the set screwslG; Each bracket; supports, aty its vopposite and remote extremities the arms- 17 and v18, :the samev being mountedy for pivotal motion and allowing the arms to' more inwardly to fol@ low the contour of the patients body. The variousY arms which are of two dilferent lengths, are provided at their upper portions with the hooked extremities 2O through which the trunnions 21 of the parabolic rollers 22 extend. rollers define a substantially circular band adapted to engage, upon all sides, a patients body and massage the same, the continuity of the surfaces being` illustrated in Fig. 2. Each bracket carries an arm of each length, thus arranging the rollers in staggered relation and preventing any interference therebetween which would in any way tend to restrict their independent motions.

The arms are provided at their lower extremities with the offset portions 17 and 18 through which the pins 19 extend and from which extend projections 23. The arms, when taken in connection with these proj ections deiine a plurality of bell crank levers upon the lower projecting portions 23 of which are adjustably mounted the weights 24, provided with suitable locking means 25. The weights are thus adapted to force the arms inward against the patients body with a pressure that may be adjusted and varied as desired. The modified form of bell crank lever illustrated in Fig. 4 includes the apertured projection 26 to which the retractile spring 27 is secured, the lower extremity of which is adjustably secured to the linger which depends from the bracket.

The vibratory motion imparted to the platform will impart a similar movement to the patients body and render the same more .susceptible to the massaging contacting members or rollers 22. The adjustability of the various brackets allows the massaging members to engage the patients body at any desired locality. The vibrations or movements Vof the platform result in the relative movement of the patients body and themassaging rollers, thus producing the desired effect and the reduction of the fatty tissues. The arms are inclined inwardly and upwardly and completely encircle the patients body. Due to the inward force imparted to the arms by means of either the weights or retractile springs, the arms follow the contour of the patients body and remain in continuous contact therewith. It will be evident that the platform is in effect a support for the patient or for the patients limbs to be massaged. Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what 1 claim isz- 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a patient supporting reciprocating` platform, and a plurality l of massaging contacting members mounted in a group about the platform for movement in a substantially horizontal plane radially with respect to the center of such grou 2. In aY massaging apparatus, the com ina- The curved surfaces of thesev tion of a platform, means for vibrating the same and a plurality of massage contacting members movable laterally with respect to said platform and held against movement substantially in the direction of the vibrating motion of the platform.

3. 1n an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a patient supporting reciprocating platform, a plurality of pivoted arms projecting centrally andv upwardly with respect to said platform and massaging members located at thc upper extremities of said arms. y

4. 1n an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a vertically movable platform, means engaging and adapted to reciprocate the same, and a plurality of massaging members mounted Vfor horizontal motion and held against vertical motion, and means adapted to move the same laterally with respect to said platform to continuously contact with a patients body.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a plurality of upright-posts arranged about an imaginary axis, arms pivotally secured at their lower extremities and supported by said posts, and projecting inwardly and upwardly from their supports, and massaging members arranged in staggered relation carried at the upper extremities of said arms and arranged to form a group around the said axis above the platform.

6. A massaging apparatus Acomprising posts arranged to inclose a space, brackets adjustably mounted thereon, and a plurality of arms pivotally secured at their lower extremities to' said brackets and projecting upwardly and inwardly therefrom with respect to the space inclosed by said posts and massaging contact members carried at the upper extremities of said arms. 7. A massaging apparatus comprising posts arranged to`inclose a space, brackets adjustable mounted thereon, a plurality of arms pivotally secured at their lower extremities to said brackets and projecting upwardly and inwardly therefrom with respect to the space inclosed by said posts, massaging contact members carried at the upper extremities of said arms, and means engaging said arms adapted to move the same inward to hold the massaging members in continuous contact with the surface of the body.

8. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of brackets arranged to inclose a space, means supporting the same for `adjustment in a vertical direction, a. plurality of massage contacting members carried by said brackets and arranged in staggered relation, and means for moving said massage contactingmembers inwardly toward one another within the space inclosed by* said brackets. f

9. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted arms extending upwardly and inwardly within the space inclosed by the pivotal mountings of said arms, and curved massaging rollers carried at the upper extremities thereof, arranged in staggered relation, and adapted to engage a patients body at contiguous points.

10. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced posts, brackets including central sockets adjustably mounted upon said posts and projecting to the sides thereof, unequal arms pivotally secured to the bracket extremities, said arms provided with upper hook-shaped ends, and massaging members carried at the upper extremities of said arms.

11. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced posts, brackets including central sockets adjustably mounted upon said posts and projecting to the sides thereof, unequal arms pivotally secured to the bracket extremities, said arms provided with upper hook-shaped ends, massaging members carried at the upper extremities of said arms, and means engaging said arms adapted to move the massaging members one toward the other and maintain the same in continuous contact with a patients body.

12. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of spaced posts, brackets including a central socket adjustably mounted upon said posts and projecting to the sides thereof, unequal arms pivotally secured to the bracket extremities, said arms provided with upper hook-shaped ends, massaging members carried at the upper extremities of said arms, means engaging said arms adapted to move the massaging members one toward the other and maintain the same in continuous contact with a patients body and at adjustable pressures.

13. A massaging apparatus comprising a 'plurality of spaced posts, a platform slidably mounted thereon, means engaging said platform adapted to vibrate the same in a vertical direction, a plurality of brackets slidably mounted upon said posts, means for locking said brackets in adjusted positions, a plurality of unequal arms pivota-llyv secured to the extremities of said brackets and provided with upper hook-shaped ends ex- Copiel ot this patent may be obtained for tending inwardly toward one another above the axis of the platform, a plurality of curved massaging rollers carried at the hooked extremities of said arms and adapted to encompass and continuously contact with a patients body. p

14. In a massaging apparatus the combination of a patient supporting reciprocating platform, means for reciprocating the same, a plurality of massage contacting members held against movement in the direction of the reciprocatory motion of the platform and mounted for movement one toward the other to embrace and engage at contiguous points the patient mounted upon said platform. Y

15. In a massaging apparatus the combination of a patient supporting reciprocating platform, means for reciprocating the same, and a plurality of parabolic massage contacting members.

16. A massaging apparatus comprising a l plurality of substantially parabolic massaging rollers, means mounting the same for movement one toward and away from the other, said rollers staggered one above the other and dening a substantially circular band adapted to engage the body atvconti guous points.

17. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a plurality of massaging contact members mounted in a group about a support for a patient to be treated and adapted for movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to the center of said group, with means for effecting relative reciprocation of the support and contacting members.

18. A massaging apparatus comprising a plurality of massaging rollers, said rollers being staggered, one out of lline with the others, and defining a substantially inclosing band adapted to engage the body of the patientv at contiguous points, and means for effecting relative reciprocation of said rollers and a patient supported within said inclosing band.

WILFRED SHURTLEFF.

Witnesses:

GUsTAvUs A. SHAILBERG, CHARLES S. ROBERTS.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner ef Patents.'

Washington, D. 0. 

